Second Annual Million Father March @ Lovonya DeJean Middle School

By: Don Gosney

One Million Fathers Asked to Lead the Nation Back to School

700 Cities Could Participate in the Largest, Organized Back-to-School Effort in U.S. History

Richmond – Join Principal William McGee, Assistant Principal Athena Valdez, and the faculty and staff of Lovonya DeJean Middle School on the first day of school by participating in the Million Father March.

Lovonya DeJean Middle School encourages fathers and men to take their children or a child to school on Monday, August 22, 2016. School begins at 8:30 am. There will be a program for families and community members of Lovonya DeJean Middle School students beginning at approximately 8:45 am. Participants in the event include fathers, grandfathers, foster fathers, stepfathers, uncles, cousins, big brothers, significant male caregivers, and friends of the family. Businesses are asked to give fathers and men two hours off if they work that day (with pay) to take their children to school. Participating men will also be encouraged to volunteer at school throughout the year.

“Education has become a matter of national security. Because we cannot control our schools, we cannot control our economy. And because we cannot control our economy, we cannot control and protect our quality of life in America,” says Phillip Jackson, Executive Director of The Black Star Project, U.S.A. The Black Star Project, U.S.A. is sponsoring the Million Father March 2016 on the first-day-of-school in nearly 700 cities across America. The Million Father March has become a special day that fathers and men use to make a commitment to their children, their families, their communities and their country with their dynamic presence at a school. This is the real Father’s Day!

The Million Father March 2016 will play-out at thousands of schools across America and in other parts of the world. An estimated 800,000 men in over 700 cities participated in 2015. This year, an estimated 1,000,000 men from 700 cities are expected to participate. The Million Father March also provides an escort of safety, support, and encouragement to children of all ages on their first day of school. Jackson says, “Gang recruitment, bullying and random violence goes way down on any day that a group of men are at a school.”

Research shows that children whose fathers take an active role in their educational lives earn better grades, score higher on tests, enjoy school more and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college. Additionally, children have fewer behavior problems when fathers listen to and talk with them regularly and are active in their lives. A good father is part of a good parent team and is critical to creating a strong family structure. Strong family structures produce children who are more academically proficient, socially developed and self-assured. Such children become adults who are valuable assets to their communities. “Better parents produce better communities, better schools, and better students with higher academic achievements,” says Jackson.

Although this event is created by Black men, women and men of all ethnicities are also encouraged to take their children to school on their first day. Businesses are asked to give fathers and men two hours off that morning (with pay) to take their children to school. Participating men will also be encouraged to volunteer at schools throughout the year.

The 2016 Million Father March is managed by The Black Star Project, U.S.A. and sponsored by the Schott Foundation for Public Information, in partnership with the National PTA and the National Fatherhood Initiative. Please visit their website at www.blackstarproject.org.

For information about Lovonya DeJean Middle School’s participation in this event, you may visit the school’s website at www.wccusd.net/dejean, email to wmcgee@wccusd.net or call 510-231-1430.